ZimTrade signs MoU with SES of Germany

ZimTrade, the country’s trade development and promotion body, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Senior Experten Service (SES), which is Germany’s volunteer organisation for retired experts and executives. SES provides technical assistance to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by sending experts to assist in improving productivity, quality and ultimately impact economic performance.

This MoU will pave the way for these experts to assist Zimbabwean companies, especially SMEs, who require technical assistance in the manufacturing sector. The initiative is aimed at enhancing productivity and export competitiveness through factory floor interventions.

SES has implemented various successful projects throughout the continent, in countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, among others. Through this partnership, SES experts will provide assistance to the manufacturing value chain, which include processes design, factory floor layout, production technologies, material-handling and product design, amongst others.

According to the recently published Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries’ Manufacturing Survey, the current manufacturing capacity utilisation is at 45.1%. Through this MoU and the initiatives that follow, Zimbabwean manufacturing companies are set to increase manufacturing capacity utilisation.

ZimTrade also signed a similar MoU in April 2016 with PUM, a Netherlands based organisation of Senior Experts. The PUM programme has yielded positive results for various companies with the majority testifying of improved efficiencies, cost reduction and new product development.

Speech by Hon. Minister at Exporters’ Conference 2017

Opening remarks for the Chairman – Exporters Conference 2017

Exporter of the Year Award Winners

At the recently held Exporter of the Year Awards, Padenga Holdings Ltd scooped the Overall Exporter of the Year Award and Capital Timbers Ltd win the SME Exporter of the Year Award. The awards are set to acknowledge and celebrate the efforts by companies who managed to continue exporting despite the difficult operating environment. The list of all winners is below:

OVERALL EXPORTER OF THE YEAR

Padenga Holdings Ltd

SME EXPORTER OF THE YEAR

Capital Timbers Ltd

Processed Foods & Beverages

Winner – Tanganda Tea Company Ltd

Runner up – Lake Harvest Aquaculture (Pvt) Ltd

Horticulture (Floriculture)

Winner – ZIMFLEX

Runner up- Lavante Trading (Pvt) Ltd

Horticulture (Fresh Produce)

Winner – Ariston Holdings Ltd

Runner up – Kamina-Kawena (Pvt) Ltd T/A Afruita

Hides and Skins

Winner – Padenga Holdings Ltd

Runner up – Binga Crocodile Farm

Packaging

Winner -Hunyani Paper and Packaging Ltd

Runner up- Mega Pak Zimbabwe

Textiles

Winner – Glendale Spinners (Pvt) Ltd

Runner up – Zimbabwe Spinners & Weavers Ltd

Agricultural Inputs

Winner – Twine and Cordage Manufacturers

Runner up – Pittsworth Seeds (Pvt) Ltd

Agricultural Implements

Winner – Mealie Brand (A Division of Zimplow Holdings Ltd)

Runner up -Brown Engineering

Clothing

Winner – Paramount Exports (Pvt) Ltd

Runner up -W & E Silks (Pvt) Ltd

Pharmaceuticals

Winner – Varichem Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd

Engineering

Winner – Haggie Rand Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd

Runner up – Steelmakers Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd

Furniture

Winner – J.W. Wilson International (Pvt) Ltd

Runner up – Rolvex Investments (Pvt) Ltd

Leather Products and Footwear

Winner – Zimbabwe Bata Shoe Company Ltd

Runner up – Prime Sole

Building & Construction

Winner- Border Timbers Limited

Runner up – Manica Boards and Doors (Pvt) Ltd

Household & Electrical Goods

Winner – Treger Products (Pvt) Ltd, Kango Products Division

Runner up- CAFCA Ltd

ZimTrade hosts Exporters’ Conference

ZIMTRADE today hosts the Annual Exporters’ Conference and Exporter of the Year Awards in Harare with participants expected to deliberate on key strategies to improving export earnings for the country.

More than 200 delegates drawn from the private sector — both existing and emerging exporters — Government, academia, business membership organisations and development co-operation partners are expected to attend the event, organisers said. Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Mike Bimha, will be the guest of honour at the conference, which runs under the theme: “Building Synergised Pillars for Export Competitiveness”.

The thrust of the gathering is inspired by the need for a co-ordinated approach among all stakeholders towards export competitiveness. The theme takes into cognisance the current operating business environment and seeks to address pertinent issues such as the availability of affordable export finance and the role of policy in enhancing exports,” said ZimTrade.

“Considering the highly competitive nature of the global market, the conference deliberations will focus on how best to integrate pillars for export competitiveness.” Other speakers include a Mauritian trade development expert and a consultant from Kenya who are expected to share experiences of how the export environment of their economies have transformed and assist in the development of proposals for enhancing export competitiveness.

Export Regulations trimmed down

THE government has trimmed down the list of products that require export licences under the ease of doing export business-rapid results initiative (RRI) launched last year, ZimTrade has revealed.

In a statement on Friday, ZimTrade said the reduction was done through Statutory Instrument (SI) 122 of 2017, which was published on September 22, 2017.

Following the amendments, the only four products that still require export licences are fertiliser, raw and refined sugar, gypsum and second-hand equipment.

“These products are deemed strategic and, hence, still require export licences to enable the government to regulate their exportation. A product may be deemed strategic because of its nature, its limited supply or the risk involved in its exportation,” ZimTrade said.

“Some of the products that were removed from the list include butter, cream, vegetable oil, margarine and melamine boards. The recommendation to revise the list was made in consultation with both the public and private sectors under the ease of doing export business framework.”

ZimTrade said there are several reforms that were recommended to various ministries in the RRI, which are yet to be implemented.
An taskforce has been put in place to oversee the implementation of the agreed reforms, Zimtrade said.
“The taskforce is also mandated to address any challenges that may arise in the implementation stage of the reforms. It will also attend to additional recommendations that may be submitted by various stakeholders under the ease of doing export business framework,” the statement read.

Commenting on the development, ZimTrade board chairperson, Lance Jena said the removal of products from the licensing list comes at a time when the government is looking at various initiatives to grow exports.

“We applaud the ministry of Industry and Commerce for being exemplary in the implementation of RRI reforms to improve the ease of doing export business and we encourage other ministries to follow suit,” he said.

The Industry and Commerce ministry has also implemented some administrative reforms that include reduced processing time for export licences from 14 to two days.

The ministry also expressed its willingness to extend a moratorium to companies that have been reluctant to export due to Standard Development Fund arrears that the companies may owe.
The reprieve will, however, be extended to companies on a case-by-case basis.

ZimTrade September 2017 Newsletter

ZimTrade 2016 Annual Report

ZimTrade calls for abolition of export permits

ZIMBABWE’S national trade development and promotion organisation ZimTrade, has called on Government to abolish export permits on a long list of products as part of efforts to enhance local industry’s competitiveness on the export market.

ZimTrade client service delivery director Mr Allan Majuru, recently told a Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe (Cifoz) annual general meeting and congress that the need for prior clearance on exports has been cited as a factor delaying business from delivering its produce to customers outside the country, making local businesses less competitive.

A proposal to scrap a long list of products from the general export license has been made. The list excludes four products- fertiliser, raw and refined sugar, timber and timber products excluding furniture and crafts- which are considered to be of strategic importance.

“We want to limit the need for export permits so that companies spend time worrying about how to export competitively and not how to be on the right side of the law because when our competitors in South Africa find an opportunity they start exporting while we spend a lot of time moving from one office to another for permits,” Mr Majuru added.

The move is expected to grow exports and turn around the country’s economic fortunes. Zimbabwe is suffering a foreign currency crisis. “The only way out of this is exports because that is our money.

“It is not borrowed money,” Mr Majuru said. This, Mr Majuru said, is part of broader efforts by the Government, through the Office of the President and Cabinet, to implement a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) to improve the Ease of Doing Export Business.

RRI was launched to enhance the country’s export earnings by tackling the impediments to the export process in the short-term and covered two main thematic areas of export capacity and export regulations, procedures and permits. “A Monitoring and Evaluation task-force has been put in place to follow up pending issues,” Mr Majuru said.

In the current year, Mr Majuru said, continuation of the work to improve the ease of doing export business through the RRI and consequently the business facilitation law is a priority.

A development of the national export strategy critical for export development and promotion is also under way.

Mr Majuru said ZimTrade proposed a new business facilitation law to supersede more than 22 existing Statutory Instruments .